Image Scrambling Algorithm Based on Chaos Theory and Sorting Transformation

†Summary This paper proposed a novel image scrambling scheme based on chaos theory and the sorting transformation. The new algorithm calculates the permuting address codes by sorting the chaotic sequence, not like common method by quantizing the chaotic sequence. Therefore, the new scheme does not require knowing the probability density function of the chaotic orbits in advance, thus not only facilitating the choice of chaotic systems but also reducing the complexity of the scheme. The paper also analyzed the scrambling performance of the new algorithm statistically. The results indicate that the new algorithm can provide a high level security owing to the strong irregularity of sorting transformation.